Defining conservation status using limited information: The case of Patagonian otters Lontra provocax in Argentina

The Southern river otter or huillín Lontra provocax has been classified as 'endangered', with the loss of riparian forest identified as the main threat to its survival. We used new information on distribution from Argentina to define their status. There are no data on the huillin's po...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Cassini, Marcelo Hernan, Fasola, Laura, Chehébar, Claudio, Macdonald, David W.
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2010
País:Argentina
Recursos:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repositorio:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/98948
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/98948
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:AQUATIC MAMMALS
FORAGE SPECIALIZATION
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT REQUIREMENTS
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
Descrição
Resumo:The Southern river otter or huillín Lontra provocax has been classified as 'endangered', with the loss of riparian forest identified as the main threat to its survival. We used new information on distribution from Argentina to define their status. There are no data on the huillin's population structure and dynamics, and no estimate of its abundance or population trends at a relevant scale. Our survey teams covered 435 locations in lakes, rivers and coastal sites using a standard and repeatable methodology of 600 m survey transects as adopted for otter surveys across Europe. We found that its present geographic range in Argentina is slightly larger than is characteristic of a species at risk of extinction at the national level, although its contemporary distribution is still radically contracted in comparison to its historical distribution.